Summer Strawberry Sour Cream Pie

So you may have noticed (or maybe you haven't), that I've been MIA from the blog and social networking world for a few months. It's not because I don't like to blog or tweet or obsessively stalk Instagram, it's just that the past two months have been filled with some big life changes. After four years as a communications coordinator for a membership association in Harrisburg, I decided it was time for a career change. I liked my job and I loved the people that I worked with, but I wasn't going anywhere and I needed a challenge. So, I said goodbye to Harrisburg and said hello to a new career in public relations for the largest healthcare system in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. It turns out I wasn't the only one who needed a change and within the same week, Will took a new job in electrical engineering. So, together we packed up the dogs and made the move to his hometown of Mifflinburg.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

I've never been much of a breakfast person. Don't get me wrong, I love eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes and all those other amazing breakfast foods, but I rarely have time to eat them. If I'm lucky enough to eat breakfast at all, I grab a granola bar or eat a greek yogurt. On occasion I'll eat cereal (though I still think that eating cereal everyday as a kid made me have an aversion to it as an adult).

Fresh Strawberry Swiss Meringue Frosting

...and a lesson in love and life from yours truly

I fully intended to use this post to describe how perfect this Swiss Meringue recipe is, but recent events in my life have lead me to this instead. Once my fingers hit the keyboard, I couldn't stop... so here it is. (If you're solely here for the recipe and not the life lesson, scroll to the bottom)

I learned a valuable lesson in love and life yesterday. Three weeks ago I decided to end my one year long-distance relationship. It was a tough decision, but one that I had been contemplating for a few weeks. Mistakes had been made recently and our lines of communication suffered due to distance and work schedules. I made up my mind to end it and did so cordially and matter of factly. There was no struggle, no fight. It was just... over. I woke up the next day with a new lease on life. I would focus on myself, get to the gym, lose a few pounds, work on my blog, reinvigorate my career and reconnect with old friends.

Double Berry Lemonade

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, right? Well, life has handed me a few lemons in the past couple of weeks. So, I did just that. In the literal sense, I needed a few lemons to zest and juice for various recipes. Being the saving Sally that I am these days (those who know me, know this to be true about all things not involving clothing, shoes, cosmetics or kitchen gadgets), I bought a 2 lb. bag of lemons because it seemed like the economical choice. When it was all said and done and all my recipes were made, I still had a giant bag of lemons. And from that, double berry lemonade was born.

Fresh blueberries and strawberries are pureed with sugar and combined with fresh squeezed lemon juice for a refreshingly tart chiller. It's the perfect beverage for a balmy summer evening with friends. Garnish with a fresh strawberry, lemon slices or a sprig of mint. And, if life truly has handed you lemons in both the literal and non-literal sense, add a shot of your favorite alcohol.

Red, White and Blue Puff Pastry Tarts

The 4th of July is known for two things: Freedom and berries, particularly of the red and blue variety. Not wanting to stray far from tradition, I created a festive puff pastry dessert with strawberries, blueberries and one not so traditional ingredient. Well, not a traditional American ingredient at least. The creamy sweet filling is made of Italian mascarpone cheese.

Now, I'm not Italian. Not even a little. But, every now and then I sit down and spend a half hour in front of my TV with Giada DeLaurentis. I pretend I can say "spaghetti" with her perfect Italian accent. I try to add up all the calories in her carb-laden dishes and wonder how she stays so thin. But mostly, I just want to add mascarpone cheese to everything I eat. Baked tortellini, tiramisu, banana muffins, cupcakes... you name it, I'll add mascarpone if Giada says its the right thing to do.

This recipe is so simple, yet festive. Tender puff pastry, sweet mascarpone filling, vanilla beans, zesty lemon and perfectly fresh berries. I think Giada would be proud. So add some Italian to your American celebration today.

Strawberry Peach Champagne Cupcakes

A Guest Post by Maggie

This guest post comes to you from my friend Maggie. Maggie and I were roommates at Elizabethtown College. I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in her beautiful wedding last year. We share a mutual love of baking and she has quite possibly the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know. When I started the blog, I immediately went to Maggie and asked her if she would be interesting in writing some guest posts. Maggie and her husband Preston live in Lambertville, NJ.

I love the idea of champagne cupcakes - they just sound so fun and festive to me. I've always wanted to make them but never seem to have any champagne left over around the house. My husband and I recently celebrated our first wedding anniversary and there was a left over bottle of champagne that needed to be put to use! This was the perfect time to make the cupcakes. Even better, it was peach champagne. I love all peach flavored things and wait all year for my mom's peach pie (she only uses fresh, local, peaches with a cookie crumb crust. It is absolutely amazing). So I knew it was time for champagne cupcakes.